Ice cube tongs



July 24, 1934. A. H. ACKERSON ICE CUBE TONGS Filed Aug. 12, 1932 Patented July 24, 1934 UNITE s raises #P AEP'ENT ossips iIGEiGUBE'TONGS I Alfred "B. .A'ckersen, lGlenIEllyn, 111. v Application August 1 2, 1932, serialNoi 628,466

.LG-la-im. (Cl. 294--115) .boiiyiportionprovided with anactuating stem ex tendingtherethrough'the stem having a'button orfilarge' head at oneiend thereof, and having a grooved collar at its other end. The stemisreciprocally mounted within the tube, and is normally maintained'in .positionlby a coiled spring confined -..witliinflthe :body portion arid extending about the stem.

" ies The tong members comprise apair of pivotally mounted tongs which are .disposed atthelower ten'dlof the'tubularlbody portion, andhave integralcam surfaces engaging inthe grooved collar for moving .thetongs into open and 'closedposi- 'ltion uponmovement of ithecollar. The coiled spring normally tends to maintain the tongs in closed vposition.

)I'hegroeve'dcollar is preferably adjustable with grespect to the. stem, in orderto provide 'ior engagingiaiiticles or varying size with'the tongs. (However, since theitongs havea relatively'large ratio of movement with respect to the movement :ofthecollar, this being on theorder (if-'25 to1,ithis adjustment maybe omitted. "The wide range of movementof the tongs is madep'ossible by'the relatively short lever arm'eXten'ding between the :camming surface and the pivot or the tongs .on the collar.

The ends of thetongs are preferably sharply ipointed and the spring is of sufficient-strength to Iforce the ends'tobite into the surface of the engaged article and to urge the tongs to closed :position. An annular flange on'thetubular body portion provides a grip for theffingers ofthe op- .erator and the enlarged head or button 'oni'the stem .is engaged by the thumbwor palm ofthe Lhand when=it isdesired'to compress the :spring to open the tongs.

One of theprimary objects "of'the present invention is toiprovide. a pair of pivotally mounted tong members having camming engagement-with a movable collar, whereinthe ratio of'movement of the tongs'with respect tothe movem'ent'of the ..collar is relatively-great. I

7* Another important object ofthe' invention is' to provide, intongs oftthe typedescribedya'spring which normally maintainstheitongs c1osed,and whichis compressed in: openingthe tongs and is of sufiicient strength'to'forcethe'ends of the tongs intoggripping engagement "with the desired article when the .spring 157'1'6169566. from 'TCOlIlpressed'position. o

'Anotherobjectnithaiinveritionds toprovide a simple'tong construction,"having relatively few i moving parts, which need not be accurately machined or aligned, and whichmay be'readily taken apart and reassembled.

A further object of the" invention is to produce tongs of small and compact size, neat vinappea'rance, economical in 'design,,anld which has nqpait susceptible'to. any substantial wearior' strain.

'Othervobiects and advantages ofitheiinvention will appear more fully in connection withlthe following detailed description, which, together 'withithe accompanying drawing, will discloseto those skilled in the art" the particular constructionan'd operation of a: preierre'dform of themvention.

In'the drawing:

Figure'l is a perspeotiveview ofthe ton'gsin operative position, and'showingan ice cube engaged thereby;

.Figure 2 isanienlargedbottom plan'view'of the tongs;- and 'i igure 3 is' aconsiderablyenlargedvertical'sectional "View taken substantially "on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Referring now in deta'ilto the drawin g,f the tongs shownin Figure '1 comprisesthetwo tong members orarms' 5 'and"6, having the inwardly "ciuvedxpointed ends '7. The'tongsare'pivotally mounted upon a collar-8 carried by the extending tubular sleeve portion 9,';and are adapted'to-rock about this pivot to 'openanol closed positions.

Consideringnow in detail the sectional View Of the tongs shown in Figure 3, the coll-arfi-ispro- *videdwith two' integrally fOIHlBdjDOItlOIlS 10 and 1l,'which' are rolleol over toformsuitablebearings 'forpivotpins T2. The tongsi5 and 'fi' are'pivota-liy secured in position by the pins IE2, andare'a'dapted to-"swing -about thesepivots to the position shown in dotted-lines in Figure3.

At the upper end of the tubular-sleeve? aconnesting member 13 'is provided, havingthefre- 'cessed'portion 14 into which the'upper end of 'thesleeve 9 extends. Preferably; thesleeve-EQ" has a drivingfit Within the recessle. f The memberlS is-provided'with an'outwar'dly exten'dingannfular- 1y flanged portion 15' adapted to serve as a finger grip to facilitate the operation or thedevice. The

' member 13 is provided with a secondrecessedportion'16 which may be threadedand is adapted to receive'a second sleeve member'l'i secured there- 'in, there "being abearingportionlfi iorme'din the'mem'ber'lfi for supporting the-stem 19"'forreciproc'atory movement within the sleeves 9 and '17. Eitheror'both of'the sleeves!) and1'7 may be threaded or'press fitted into the opposite endsiiof the member '13, 'or 'may "be otherwise secured therein.

The'stemlll' is relatively smallinydiameterand is threaded at its opposite ends, its upper :end

' b'eingiadapted to receive the threaded capioribut- "ton 20;whichhas "sliding engagement, due to the extending boss portion 21, within the sleeve 17.

A suitablecoiled spring member 22 is provided in the sleeve 17 which at its lower end bears against the upper surface of the bearing portion 18 of member 13, and at its upper end has abutting engagement against the shoulder or boss 21 of the button 20. This spring 22 normally urges the stem upwardly to the position shown in full lines in Figure 3.

At its lower end, the stem 19 is adapted to receive the extending bearing or boss portion 23 of the collar, indicated generally at24. The collar 24 is provided with an annular flanged portion 25 which is of the same diameter as the interior of the collar member 8 and is adapted to fit therein. The flange is adapted to have abutting engagement against the lower end of the sleeve 9 when in normal position. A reduced shank 26 extends from the flanged portion 25, and terminates in a head portion 27 having the slot 28 formed therein to receive a suitable tool for providing adjustment of the collar with respect to the stem 19.

The tongs and 6 are each provided with cam portions 30, which are engaged between the flange and the head 27 of the collar 24. These cam portions are moved, upon movement of the collar 24, to force the tongs 5 and 6 into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, when the button 20 is depressed to its dotted line position. It will be noted that the cam portions 30 of the tongs 5 and. 6 are disposed in close proximity to the pivot 12, and thus a small movement of the cam portions 30 will result in a greatly accentuated movement of the tongs 5 and 6. The ratio of movement between the ends 7 of the tongs and the cam portions 30 thereof is determined by the distance between the pivots and the cam portions, as compared to the distance between the pivots and the ends 7 of the tongs.

In operation, the tongs are gripped with the fingers extending under the flange and the thumb or palm of the hand on the button 20. The fingers are then drawn toward the hand, or the palm of the hand or thumb is depressed to depress the button 20, thus forcing the stem 19 downwardly against the tension of the spring 22. This causes the collar 24 to be moved outwardly from the sleeve 9, resulting in the cam portions .30 of the tongs being moved forwardly, thus movforce of engagement depending upon the strength of the spring 22, and the article may then be lifted and carried to any suitable point. To release the article, the button is again depressed, forcing the tongs 5 and 6 apart and thus allowing the article to be released therefrom.

The device has no parts subject to any substantial strain or wear. The spread of the tongs 5 and 6 can be determined by threading the collar 24 either upwardly or downwardly with respect to the stem 19, since this results in positioning the button 20 either a greater or lesser distance from the sleeve 1'7, and thus allows the button to be forced inwardly to a greater or lesser degree. This results in the cam portions of the tongs being moved in a greater or lesser are when the button is depressed, thus resulting in the tongs being spread a proportionately greater or lesser distance apart. However, becauseof the re1atively large ratio of movement of the ends 7 with respect to the cam portions 30, one adjustment may suffice for all practical uses of the tong.

It will be noted that the tongs are easily assemsembled, the pins 12 being merely driven through the rolled portions 10 and 11 of the collar 8 after the cams have been positioned therein. Further, the sleeve 9 is readily secured between the member 13 and the collar 8 in any suitable manner, such as by being driven into tight frictional engagement therewith. The device may have all of its parts plated in order to enhance its appearance and also to prevent corrosion of the elements thereof, and the tubes, tongs and other parts may be of brass or other suitable or preferred material. While the tongs has been illustrated somewhat on an enlarged scale, in order to bring out the details of construction, as actually formed it is of a neat and compact size'and in the preferred embodiment used for the purpose of picking up and handling ice cubes, is about five inches in length.

The cam engagement of the cam portions 30 in the collar 24 provides a simple and effective means for actuating the tongs 5 andG, and no jamming or slipping of the tongs is occasioned, as is some- ,1 times the case in tongs having rack and pinion or other similar actuating means.

The collar or sleeve 8 is formed of seamless tubing, and extends for a considerable distance upwardly on the sleeve 9. A portion thereof is struck 1 out to form the tongue 32, having the downwardly turned hooked portion 32. The recess 33, formed in the sleeve by the striking out of the tongue 32, is adapted to receive the side edge of a bottle cap or the like. The tongue engages under the edge of the cap, and upon movement of the device upwardly, serves to spread this edge to remove the cap from thebottle. If desired, a piece of sheet metal may be stamped out and placed about the sleeve 9, being welded or otherwise suitably se- 1 cured in position, and having projecting hook portions which may be formed to engage a bottle cap for removing the same.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not intend to 1 be limited to the exact details of structure disclosed in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, but only insofar as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

I claim:

an inwardly extending shoulder, intermediate its ends, a stem reciprocatory in said body portion, an operating member receiving one end of said stem and having bearing engagement within said (1 body portion at one end thereof, a spring within said body portion surrounding said stem and biased between said operating member and said shoulder to urge said stem upwardly within said body portion, a collar disposed about the outer periphery of said body portion at the lower end' thereof and having opposed pivot supports depending beneath and spaced laterally of said body portion, a pair of tong members pivotally engaged in said supports and having inwardly extending cam portions, a bearing member receiving the lower end of said stem and engaging the inner periphery of said body portion, said bearing member having an integrally formed collar portion receiving the cam portions of said tong members, and an annular flange formed adjacent said collar portion for limiting the upward movement of said stem effected by said spring.

' ALFRED H. ACKERSONl V In combination, a tubular body portion having 

